Williamâs POV
I opened the door of Sophiaâs room and peered inside. I smiled when I saw her asleep on Alexâs chest.
Alex looked at me and gave me a small smile.
âIs everything okay?â he asked me.
I nodded and walked into the room. I approached the bed and kneeled next to it. I leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. She was sound asleep.
I smiled a little as I ran my fingers through her hair.
âI have a question,â I said quietly, looking up at Alex.
He gave me a small nod and waited for me to continue.
âI thought about bringing my mom out here,â I said, making Alexâs eyes widen. âI think that Sophia could use a female figure in her life.â
Alex was silent for a moment.
âNo,â he said. âShe is not her mother. Sophia doesnât need her. She has us.â
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.
âShe does, Alex,â I said. âBut we are men. Maybe she doesnât feel comfortable talking to us about certain things. I think it would be good for her mental health if she had a woman in her life.â
Alex tightened his hold on Sophia.
âI donât think thatâs a good idea,â Alex said, shaking his head. âYour mother didnât want to keep Sophia. She wanted her gone.â
I narrowed my eyes at Alex.
âSo did your father, Alex,â I said, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. âYou said once that Sophia was lucky your father let her live.â
Alex clenched his jaw and took a deep breath.
âHe said that because he was hurt,â Alex mumbled. âHe said it in anger. He said it because he thought she was his child and he was completely destroyed after he found out that she wasnât.â
Alex sighed and looked down at Sophia.
âHe would never have hurt her,â he added quietly. âHe loved her even though she wasnât his.â
Alex looked up at me and narrowed his eyes.
âWhat about your mother?â he asked. âWhy do you think she would want to have anything to do with Sophia?â
I looked at my Sunshine and smiled.
âBecause Sophia is wonderful,â I said softly. âMy mom will love her. I am sure of it.â
Alex took a deep breath and shook his head.
âI donât know, Will,â he said. âI am not sure if Iâm okay with it. I am not sure if Eli will be okay with it.â
I caressed Sophiaâs cheek and leaned in to kiss her temple.
âWe can talk to him about it,â I said, looking up at Alex. âI wonât bring her here until we discuss it.â
Alex sighed and looked down at Sophia. He pressed her closer to him and kissed her cheek.
âMy baby,â he mumbled quietly.
I smiled and stood up.
âCome on, Alex,â I said. âLetâs go talk to the rest of our brothers.â
Alex looked up at me like I was insane.
âI am not going to leave her,â he said. âShe has nightmares when she sleeps alone.â
I looked at her and sighed. âShe will be okay. We wonât be gone for long. I want to discuss this so I can bring her here as soon as possible if you and Eli agree.â
Alex mumbled something under his breath. He pulled Sophia to him and kissed her cheek again.
âI will be right back, my baby,â he said quietly. âYou are safe. You are not alone.â
He caressed her cheek and stood up, placing her on the bed slowly.
âHurry up, Will,â he muttered unhappily as he walked out of the room.
I shook my head and followed him out of the room.
We ran into Damien and Elijah in the hallway. Both of them looked a bit nervous.
âWhatâs wrong?â I asked as I closed the door.
âNothing,â Elijah mumbled. âWhy are you leaving Sophia alone?â
He glanced toward the room worriedly.
âBecause we need to talk,â I said. âIt wonât take long.â
Elijah was reluctant to leave, but Alex pulled him to follow us.
Luke was already in the kitchen making coffee when we all walked in. He looked up at us and furrowed his eyebrows.
âWhy are you all here?â he asked. âWho is with Sophia?â
âShe is asleep,â Alex said as he sat down. âI was with her, but Will dragged me out of there so we could talk.â
I sighed and rolled my eyes at him. âI didnât drag you out of there, I askedâ¦â
âCan we just go on with it?â Alex interrupted me. âI would like to go back to her. I donât want her to wake up alone.â
I sat down and nodded. I looked at Elijah and my brothers.
âI would like to bring our mom here,â I said. âI think that Sophia could use a female figure in her life.â
Elijah gasped and looked at Alex.
âNo!â he exclaimed. âSophia doesnât need it! She has us!â
Alex nodded. âThatâs exactly what I said.â
âI am sure that there are some things she doesnât want to talk to us about,â I sighed. âShe is vulnerable right now. Maybe she could use a woman in her life.â
I looked at Luke and I could see that he agreed with me. I couldnât figure out what Damien was thinking. He kept glancing at Elijah and furrowing his eyebrows.
âI donât agree,â Elijah said, shaking his head. âHow can we be sure that your mother wonât hurt her?â
I gasped and my eyes widened.
âShe would never do that!â Luke exclaimed before I could. âShe is an amazing woman! She would want to help Sophia!â
Elijah looked at Alex.
âI think itâs clear that we both disagree,â Alex said.
âBut Sophia wanted it,â Luke argued. âShe said that she would like to meet our mom one day.â
Alex took a deep breath and looked at Elijah.
âWe can talk to her,â Alex said. âIf thatâs what she really wants then we wonât forbid her from meeting her.â
âMeeting who?â a quiet voice made us look toward the entrance to the kitchen.
âBaby!â Alex exclaimed as he jumped up and rushed to her.
He picked her up and kissed her temple.
âI am so sorry, my baby,â he mumbled. âI didnât want to leave you. We just came here to talk. I was just about to go back.â
âItâs okay,â Sophia said. âI woke up because I was thirsty.â
âOh, honey,â Elijah mumbled as he walked to the fridge. âWe should have put a bottle of water by your bed.â
Alex walked back to the table and sat down with Sophia in his arms. Luke leaned in and kissed her cheek.
âWho should I meet?â she asked as she took a bottle of water from Elijah.
âOur mom, cutie,â Luke said, giving her a small smile. âWe think it might be good for you. What do you say?â
Sophia looked at Alex.
âWhatever you want, baby,â he said, giving her a small smile. âWhat Elijah and I want or think isnât important, you are. If you want to meet her, you can.â
Sophia looked at me and I smiled.
âShe is an amazing woman, Sunshine,â I said. âShe will love you.â
Sophia pressed herself closer to Alex and gave me a small nod.
âOkay,â she said quietly. âI will meet her.â
I smiled brightly and looked at Damien.
âMake arrangements and bring our mom here,â I said excitedly.
Damien gave me a small nod and he looked back at Elijah. I approached Alex and Sophia.
âI love you, Sunshine,â I said as I bent down and kissed her forehead. âI canât wait for you to meet our mom.â